Georgia
Talk of Georgia-style full Medicaid expansion spurs bipartisan buzz at state Capitol
(GA Recorder)— The Gold Dome was aflutter during the first week of the legislative session over whether Georgia Republicans might move to fully expand Medicaid this year.
A high-ranking Republican leader elevated the issue further when he uttered the words “Medicaid expansion” during a prominent speech to Georgia’s business community Wednesday. House Speaker Jon Burns said House lawmakers “will continue to gather facts” about a “private option” for expanding Medicaid.
In particular, several GOP lawmakers have voiced interest in an Arkansas-style model, which purchases private insurance for individuals on the marketplace instead of adding more people to the state-run Medicaid program.
In a statement Friday, Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones sounded open to the concept. Jones has pressed for changes to the state’s business regulations for medical providers, and discussions about Medicaid expansion are happening alongside the debate over to what extent Georgia should remake its certificate of need rules.
“I have never wavered on my position that expanding access to health care, especially in rural parts of the state, should be a priority for all Georgians,” Jones said.
“The legislative process allows for different options to be presented on a variety of issues. I look forward to addressing this critical issue this upcoming session to help make access to quality health care a reality, regardless of someone’s zip code.”
This all represents what appears to be a softening of the decade-long resistance in Georgia to Medicaid expansion, which is a central piece of former President Barack Obama’s legacy. But one of the big questions of the session will be this: Does that shift in thinking extend to the governor’s mansion?
Georgia Pathways to Coverage, the governor’s partial expansion program, has enrolled about 2,300 people since launching in July. About 345,000 are thought to be eligible for the Medicaid program, according to the state’s estimate.
Kemp’s spokesman, Garrison Douglas, said Wednesday that the governor “has championed and continues to support” Pathways and Georgia Access, which is a state-run exchange set to launch later this year.
The governor did not mention Pathways in his State of the State address Thursday even as he touted other elements of his signature health care plans, like a reinsurance program that has helped lower premiums.
Pathways has attracted national attention because it made Georgia the only state to have a work requirement as part of its Medicaid program, with it only applying to those who are newly eligible.
‘We say a rose by any other name is still a rose’
The low enrollment in Pathways has ratcheted up the pressure on Georgia Republicans to change course.
Georgia – which has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country – is now one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, with neighboring North Carolina recently expanding the health insurance program for the poor.
“This isn’t just a policy oversight; it is a moral failing,” state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, a Lawrenceville Democrat, said at a press conference Thursday. “Hundreds of thousands of our people are left without adequate health care.”
But other Democrats and long-time health care advocates have expressed optimism over the recent chatter, even if the conversation is not centered on traditional Medicaid expansion.
“I’m hearing the same thing that others are hearing – that this is the year that we’re going to have some sort of Medicaid expansion,” Rep. Billy Mitchell, a Stone Mountain Democrat who chairs House minority caucus, told a reporter Thursday. “It may not be called Medicaid expansion because it’s not politically palatable to certain groups. We say a rose by any other name is still a rose.”
Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat who is an anesthesiologist, said she was encouraged that talk of any kind of Medicaid expansion is now happening in Georgia.
“Even having this conversation at all, and considering something in a serious way, is already way better than anything that we’ve seen for a decade,” Au said in an interview.
Au led a Democratic caucus-organized hearing on Medicaid expansion that filled a meeting room and had people standing in the hallways to hear health care experts, hospital representatives and others talk about the impact of Medicaid expansion on the state’s economy and the health of Georgians.
Au, who is a leading Democratic voice on health care issues in Georgia, has regularly held educational forums on Medicaid expansion. But this year’s event was different.
“There’s a feeling in the air: something has changed, and it’s like, we’re really talking about this. This might happen,” Au said. “And many of our holdout-state neighbors have recently changed – states that we have a lot in common with. So, it’s not unreasonable to go down this path to think that there is a chance this could happen.”
Scott Raynes was among the speakers at Au’s meeting. Raynes is president and CEO of Brunswick-based Southeast Georgia Health System and was a member of the House committee that looked at ways to modernize the state’s certificate of need regulations.
“Let’s not get hung up on the fact that we are one of the last 10 or 11 to even explore this,” Raynes said. “Let’s take advantage of the learnings of those states before us and make a good decision. A good economic decision, a decision that is really apolitical if you will, and do what’s right on behalf of the citizens of the state of Georgia, and frankly, help the industry of health care within it.”
Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, which advocates for Medicaid expansion, had this message for those who attended the organization’s Health Care Unscrambled event held Thursday: “I’m not going to count our chickens before they hatch – we don’t have expansion yet – but it’s coming.”
Georgia Pathways
The governor has proposed spending $1.7 million in this year’s budget to integrate Pathways into the state’s eligibility system for Medicaid and other public aid services, which is a move that is intended to increase enrollment in the program and improve the effectiveness of caseworkers who are processing applications, according to the governor’s Office of Budget and Planning.
The funding would also connect the state’s system to Georgia Access as Georgia moves toward a state-based exchange for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Pathways slightly expanded eligibility for Medicaid coverage in Georgia but also requires participants to complete 80 hours each month of work, school or other qualifying activity, and critics have long warned that the reporting requirements to show the hours were completed would create a paperwork burden.
The program was approved under the Trump administration and then delayed by the Biden administration. Georgia moved forward with launching the program in July after successfully challenging the federal government in court.
The program’s federally approved waiver expires in the fall of 2025.
During a conversation about Medicaid expansion at the Health Care Unscrambled event Thursday, Savannah Republican Sen. Ben Watson praised the state’s reinsurance program and urged health care advocates to help enroll people in Pathways.
“The one that’s been a bit of a challenge, and I would challenge you to help our patients to get enrolled, is that 100% on down,” said Watson, who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
As Pathways is being rolled out, an army of state workers is also in the process of checking the eligibility of all 2.8 million people covered by Medicaid after the end of a pandemic-era federal rule that protected coverage during the public health crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are expected to lose coverage as part of what’s known as the unwinding.
Georgia
Thunderstorms in Starkville weather forecast for Mississippi State baseball vs Georgia series
STARKVILLE — Thunderstorms could possibly impact Mississippi State baseball’s series against Georgia at Dudy Noble Field.
According to AccuWeather, there is a 55% chance of thunderstorms on April 2, an 88% chance on April 3 and 90% chance on April 4.
The three-game series between No. 4 MSU (25-4, 7-2 SEC) and No. 5 Georgia (24-6, 7-2) starts April 2 (6 p.m., SEC Network+). The other start times are 6 p.m. on April 3 and 1 p.m. on April 4.
The hourly forecast on AccuWeather says there is a 17% chance of rain at first pitch on April 2 with a high of 81 degrees. The chance of precipitation increases to 54% at 8 p.m. Wind could also be a factor with gusts at 20 mph.
The April 3 hourly forecast projects a 49% chance of rain at first pitch with a high of 79 degrees and 20 mph winds.
Mississippi State enters the series on a nine-game winning streak. It’s also won 20 consecutive home games dating back to last season.
Georgia swept South Carolina in its last SEC series and has also won series against Texas A&M and Tennessee. It leads the country with 87 home runs.
Mississippi State baseball schedule vs Georgia
- Thursday, April 2: 6 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Friday, April 3: 6 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Saturday, April 4: 1 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting shares an overview of what recruits have told DawgNation about spring practice so far this month.
Recruits can get a 5-star ranking. That’s the same set of evaluation criteria that was often used for hotels, movie reviews and restaurants, among other things.
When it came to the big screen, the 5-star ranking for a movie was reserved for the elite. Those were the masterpieces.
That’s a convenient connection here with what DawgNation has heard from the elite recruits who have visited Georgia football practices so far this month.
They are very much like a focus group invited in for a private screening of the 2026 Georgia football team.
While DawgNation has to wait for G-Day to get their first looks, several prospects have now seen UGA for multiple practices, including back-to-back sessions. Not even Magill Society members have seen that much of the Dawgs.
What are they saying? What were their movie reviews? Here’s a listing of several breakout quotes we’ve heard so far.
We were listening for the stuff that would have been at the top of all those movie theatres at the Cineplex.
The program culture at the UGA “Pro Day” workout
“That was the underlying thing you saw today. All the other Dawgs that have already been able to succeed, then want to see the next ones go.”
— 3-star OT commit Ty Johnson (Mount Pleasant, SC)
Does the physicality of spring practice at UGA stand out?
“100 percent. I feel like Georgia is just different. The way they run stuff. The aggression they play with. The tempo they play with. I feel like all of that leads up to the game. I think a cool thing Coach Smart does, and he really emphasized it, is giving everyone reps. Giving freshmen reps. Giving a fifth-year senior reps. He’s a big big coach on just getting people reps.”
“I think that’s a big reason why Georgia develops so well because they play everyone. You can’t get better if you’re on the sideline watching and I think that’s why Georgia emphasizes getting people on the field. That’s why they’ve been so successful over the past couple of years.”
— 4-star OL Jimmy Kalis (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
“Georgia’s practice is like no other I’ve seen. They were hitting like they had pads on and they didn’t have any pads on. That’s just straight development at its finest.”
— 3-star IOL Elijah Morrison (Dacula, Ga.)
“I watched a kid on a one-on-one rep. I saw one of their O-lineman slam the D-lineman to the ground and I was like ‘I want some of that’ and ‘I want some of that work’ because it was crazy to see.”
— 4-star DL Karlos May (Birmingham, Ala.)
“I want to play for a team that physical. I’ve never seen a team practice that physical. It looked like a gameday. Like a rivalry game. Georgia is the most physical team in the country.”
— 4-star DL Marvin Nguetsop (Oakdale, Conn.)
The meetings have also stood out to recruits
“Man, just the meeting itself did it for me, honestly. You are ready to go for our spring ball. Very high energy over there. Tight-knit group. Everybody’s like family there, so it’s very fun to be there at practices and watch them go throughout the day and it’s very exciting when you watch them practice and hit. I was there for the first day with full pads on, so you know the energy was there.”
— 4-star LB Jalaythan “JJ” Mayfield (Lincolnton, NC)
“We sat in a pretty long meeting. I took an entire notebook full of pages and I filled the entire thing up. It was actually pretty cool. Coach Smart, he looked at my notebook and he was really impressed with my note-taking skills. So that was a pretty cool memory, too.”
— 4-star OT Jimmy Kalis (Pittsburg, Pa.)
Junior OT Jah Jackson has attracted a lot of attention
“Jah Jackson is probably the tallest tackle I’ve seen. He’s 6-foot-11 and probably seven feet with cleats on.”
— 4-star OL Jimmy Kalis (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
“He’s a big dude to watch. For sure. He’s definitely exciting to watch on both sides. The left side and the right side. He’s definitely a top guy. For sure.”
— Class of 2029 OT Landon Ghea
“Jah is a leader in my eyes. That’s what I see right now. I feel like he’s figured it out.”
— 3-star IOL Elijah Morrison (Dacula, Ga.)
“The kid’s name was Jah, I think. Man was huge. I’ve never. He is humongous. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw him, I was like ‘Damn’ for real.”
— 4-star WR Khalil Taylor (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Georgia offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson (64) blocks against Austin Peay defensive lineman Davion Hood (17) during their game at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, September 6, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 28-6. (Jason Getz / AJC) (Jason Getz/AJC Freelancer)
What Kirby Smart adds to every UGA practice visit
“There’s just a standard that everybody is held to. Coach Smart was on the microphone. Just pointing out everybody’s mistakes. Just making sure everybody is locked in.”
— Class of 2029 OT Landon Ghea (Milton, Ga.)
“He was just telling me you’ve got to be ready to come here and play. Like I can’t be weak. He’s going to test me mentally and physically and just to be ready. It makes me want to turn up even more. I love being coached hard. It lets me know that he wants me to be great.”
— 4-star WR Sean Green (Kingsland, Ga.)
“He’s a very genuine guy and you can tell that he’s got a real sense of that he’s going to win. I think that’s definitely something that he and I both see eye-to-eye on. We both value winning. He clearly values winning and he does it at a high level.”
— 4-star IOL Carter Jones (Poquoson, Va.)
“A Georgia practice is different. It definitely is. The energy level is way higher. When Kirby gets on that microphone, it just changes something in the atmosphere and there aren’t many places that do that. There are some coaches that try to replicate that, but they don’t do it at the level that he does.”
–4-star LB Jalaythan “JJ” Mayfield (Lincolnton, NC)
Do they look elite?
“I can just see why Georgia is just so elite in what they do. They take a pro approach to everything. They are very serious about what they do. They are passionate about the way they do it. Georgia is going to have a great year.”
— 4-star OL Jimmy Kalis (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
“I feel like it is a factory for the NFL. Their pipeline is and that’s what the end goal is for every athlete of my caliber. So why wouldn’t you check out a place like Georgia?
— 4-star LB Jalaythan “JJ” Mayfield (Lincolnton, NC)
“When I think of Georgia, I just think of relentlessness. Just the way they play. The whole team. It’s not like they got a couple of dudes on there that are Dawgs. Like, literally the whole team is Dawgs. They all want to win and pretty much every single year they’re in the running for a national championship.”
–4-star LB Kenneth Simon II (Brentwood, Tenn.)
“Georgia is different. Like, SEC ball is different. They’re very aggressive, and with the attention to detail, they are very focused. is like you can definitely tell the difference between the Big Ten and the ACC and the different conferences and stuff like that. They’re huge. They’re very aggressive, and with the attention to detail, they are very focused. They’re on their ‘Ps’ and ‘Qs,’ and they know what they’re doing. Everything down there was just great.
— 4-star WR Khalil Taylor (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
2026 breakouts: The names we’ve heard that have impressed the recruits so far this spring
- LB Chris Cole
- QB Ryan Montgomery
- WR Craig Dandridge
- OL Juan Gaston
- DL Elijah Griffin
- IOL Zykie Helton
- OT Jah Jackson
- TE/WR Kaiden Prothro
- OL Mason Short
- DL Valdin Sone
- WR Talyn Taylor
- WR Sacovie White-Helton
- TE Elyiss Williams
Have you subscribed to the DawgNation YouTube channel? If so, you will see special 1-on-1 content with key 2027 recruits like Chance Gilbert, KJ Jackson, Kemon Spell and Donte’ Wright.
Check out this week’s “Before the Hedges” weekly Georgia football recruiting special on YouTube below
The New York Jets have been named a perfect fit for a Georgia wide receiver.
The NFL draft is less than a month away. Teams are finalizing their draft boards as most of the pre draft work is in the rear view mirror now. The Georgia Bulldogs have a list of players who are expected to be selected in this year’s draft.
One of the more intriguiing prospects coming out of Georgia this year is wide receiver Zachariah Branch. He doesn’t have the typicalf frame of an NFL wide receiver, but the playmaking abilities he showcased last season with the Bulldogs are hard to ignore.
It’s often hard to place a player like Branch in the draft and determine where he would fit best in the league, but ESPN’s Matt Bowen named one NFL team as the perfect fit for Branch.
Why the New York Jets Should Draft Georgia’s Zachariah Branch
Bowen believes the New York Jets should draft Branch with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the draft.
“The Jets need to add receiving talent opposite Garrett Wilson, so Branch makes sense as a dynamic slot target who is electric after the catch,” Bowen wrote. “Branch lacks the size to make contested catches at a high rate, but he can produce explosive plays on routes that allow him to run away from coverage (crossers, overs) with his 4.33 speed. Plus, new coordinator Frank Reich can also scheme touches for Branch as a motion/movement target on screens, fly sweeps and RPOs.”
Branch was the focal point of Georgia’s offense last season. He had 81 receptions last season and the next highest on the team was Dillon Bell who had 27 on the season. The Bulldogs’ offensive identity in the passing attack essentially became “How many ways can get Branch the ball?”
His short area quickness and elusivness in the open field make him one of the hardest players to tackle. The only question as he enters the league is will it translate?
If Branch’s next team can replicate what Georgia was able to do at the collegiate level, then Branch will likely be a successful professional. Will he lead his new team in receptions? Likely not. But there is no denying that Branch’s speed and ability to create yards after the catch ca translate to the next level. It all boils down to him finding the right fit, and that could be with the Jets.
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